There is known an image generation device that maps an input image from a camera on a predetermined space model on a three-dimensional space, and generates a visual point conversion image, which is viewed from an arbitrary virtual visual point in the three-dimensional space while referring to the mapped space data (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Publication No. 3286306).
The image generation device disclosed in Patent Document 1 projects an image taken by a camera mounted on a vehicle onto a three-dimensional space model configured by a plurality of plane surfaces or curved surfaces that surround the vehicle. The image generation device generates a visual point conversion image using the image projected onto the space model, and displays the produced visual point conversion image to a driver. The visual point conversion image is an image of a combination of a road surface image, which virtually reflects a state of a road taken from directly above, and a horizontal image, which reflects a horizontal direction image. Thereby, the image generation device relates, when the driver driving the vehicle looks the visual point conversion image, an object in the visual point conversion image to an object actually existing outside the vehicle without giving an uncomfortable feeling.
The image generation device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is assumed to be mounted on a vehicle, and is not supposed to be mounted on a body to be operated such as a construction machine capable to perform a turning operation. Accordingly, the image generation device disclosed in Patent Document 1 cannot generate a view point conversion image suitable for observing a surrounding area of a body to be operated during a turning operation.